Receiver-dehydrator



March 25, 5 LOG ET AL RECEIVER-DEHYDRATOR Filed Oct. 16, 196

w m mh mm 72 R $2M m 6 Z Az United States Patent 3,434,597 RECEIVER-DEHYDRATOR Stephen Balogh, Solon, and Cecil L. Adams, Burton,

Ohio, assignors to Parker-Hannifin Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 675,662 Int. Cl. B01d 35/00, 27/02 U.S. Cl. 210-95 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is directed to a receiver-dehydrator or dryer of the type particularly adapted for use in refrigerating systems, and is particularly directed to a horizontal flow dryer :having a closure provided with a radially offset interior fluid port and a viewing port disposed with the axes thereof in a common plane and opening through the closure at diametrically opposite sides thereof. This construction assures that the pick-up port is at all times disposed at a bottommost portion of the dryer housing when the viewing port is upwardly disposed.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel receiver-dehydrator or dryer of the horizontal-flow type which includes a generally tubular housing closed at an end portion thereof by a closure member having passage means for conducting a fluid medium, such as a conventional refrigerant, therethrough, the passage means includes an interior pick-up passage portion opening into the housing radially outwardly offset from the housing axis and a viewing passage portion opening through the closure member exteriorly of the housing with the axes of the passage portions lying in a common plane and at diametrically opposite sides of the housing whereby upon the normal installation of the dehydartor in a fluid system with the viewing passage portion disposed upwardly and in a vertical plane the pick-up passage portion is automatically positioned at a bottommost portion of the dehydrator housing.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claimed subject matter, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a receiver-dehydrator constructed in accordance with this invention with a portion thereof broken away for clarity, and illustrates a quantity of desiccant material disposed adjacent one end of the housing and a closure member secured to an opposite end of the housing.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 2--2 of FIGURE 1, and more clearly illustrates the particular construction of the closure member with a pair of passage portions thereof disposed with their axes in a common plane and opening outwardly of the closure member at diametrically opposite sides thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken generally along line 33 of FIGURE 2, and illustrates a sight glass positioned in one of the passage portions above a temperature relief mechanism secured to a further exteriorly opening passage.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken generally along line 4--4 of FIGURE 2, and more clearly illustrates the manner in which various passage portions are disposed with their axes in a common vertical plane, and an opening of the pick-up passage disposed adjacent a bottomniost portion of the dryer housing.

A novel receiver-dehydrator or dryer constructed in ac- "ice cordance with this invention is generaly designated by the reference numeral 10, and includes a generally tubular metallic housing or shell 12 having a bottommost wall portion 13. The housing 12 includes a conventional male nipple 14 having a part 15 theret-hrough.

A quantity of desiccant material M which is in particulate form is encased in a porous container or bag 17 which is suspended in the manner illustrated in FIG- URE 1 by a pair of springs 18, 20, the latter of which is secured in position by a porous screen retainer 21 having a flange 22 in tight frictional engagement with the interior surface (unnumbered) of the housing 12.

An opposite end portion 23 of the housing 12 is closed by a closure member 24 which is of an integral, one-piece metallic construction. The closure member 24 is illustrated in FIGURES 2 through 4 and includes a narrow end portion 25 provided with conventional threads 26 and an enlarged portion 27 partially received within the housing 12 and secured thereto by an annular weld 28 and having a generally conical inner face 27 The closure member 24 icludes passage means generally designated by the reference numberal 30 for conducting a fluid medium, such as a conventional refrigerant, from the interior of the housing 12 outwardly through the reduced end portion 25. The passage means 30 includes a longitudinal passage portion 33 disposed generally along the axis of the housing 12, and terminating at a blind end 34. A pickup passage portion 35 of the passage means 30 opens at 35 in a direction toward the bottommost wall 13 of the housing 12 at a point radially outwardly offset from the housing axis. Pickup passage portion 35 functions in the manner of conventional pick-up tubes for directing the fluid medium into and through the longitudinal passage porion 33. As is best illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawing, the pickup passage portion 35 is downwardly inclined relative to longitudinal passage portion 33 whereby its inner end 35' opens through conical face 27' at a point below the longitudinal axis of housing 13 and is preferably positioned with its axis disposed in a vertical plane which also passes through the axis of the housing 12.

A viewing passing portion 36 of the passage means 30 opens through the closure member 24, and merges with a counterbore 37 that is open to the exterior at a point above the longitudinal axis of housing 13. The counterbore 37 is provided with a sight glass 38 secured in the posit-ion best illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 by conventional fastening means, generally designated by the reference numeral 40. A seal 41 prevents fluid from leaking past the sight glass 38 to atmosphere.

The axis of viewing passage portion 36 also lies in a vertical plane taken through the axis of pickup passage portion 35 as well as the axis of the tubular housing 12. In addition, viewing passage portion 36 preferably opens outwardly of the closure member 24 at a side thereof generally diametrically opposite to the side through which pickup passage portion 35 opens.

Prior to attachment of closure member 24 to housing 12 the latter and its contents are symmetrically for-med about the longitudinal axis of housing 12 so that any portion thereof may serve as the bottommost portion 13 when instaHed. Thus closure member 113 may be welded to housing 12 in any rotat-ive position relative thereto so that it is unnecessary to establish any particular angular positioning between such parts. Then because opening 35 is angularly displaced from viewing passage 36, installation of the dryer 10 in a horizontal position with viewing passage 36 vertically above the longitudinal axis of dryer 10 automatically ensures. that opening 35' will be adjacent the lowermost portion of the housing, see FIGS. 2 and 4.

The passage means further includes a relief passage portion 42 threaded to receive a safety plug 43 carrying a generally cylindrical element of fusable material 44. The safety plug 43 is of a conventional construction and is designed to blow by melting should the temperature rise become excessive.

Although it is preferred that the angular displacement between viewing passage 36 and pickup passage be 180", it may be less in some forms of the invention, the important consideration being that there is some angular displacement whereby when the viewing passage is in the desired position above a horizontal plane through the axis of passage 33 the pickup passage will be in the desired position below such plane.

While a preferred form and arrangement of parts has been shown in illustrating the invention, various changes in details and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

We claim:

1. A dryer of the type particularly adapted for use in refrigerating systems comprising a generally tubular housing closed at an end portion thereof by a closure member, passage means in said closure member for conducting a fluid medium therethrough, said passage means including a pickup passage portion formed directly in said closure member and opening into said housing radially outwardly offset from the axis of said housing, said passage means further including a viewing passage portion opening through said closure member exteriorly of said housing in transverse relationship to the housing axis, and said passage portions having axes angularly offset from each other.

2. The dryer as defined in claim 1 wherein said passage portions open through said closure member at diametrically opposite sides thereof.

3. The dryer as defined in claim 2 wherein means are provided in said viewing passage portion through which fluid medium in said passage means can be viewed.

4. The dryer as defined in claim 2 including a quantity of desiccant material within said housing.

5. The dryer as defined in claim 2 wherein said passage means includes a relief passage portion opening through said closure member exteriorly of said housing, and means in fluid communication with said relief passage portion for relieving excessive temperature build-up within said housing.

6. A dryer for refrigeration systems comprising a housing having at one end thereof a one-piece closure member, passage means formed directly in the closure member for conducting fluid from the interior to the exterior of the housing, said passage means including a pickup passage portion opening to the interior of the housing at a point radially offset from the longitudinal axis of the housing, said passage means also including a viewing passage portion located at a point angularly offset from said opening of the pickup passage portion.

7. The dryer of claim 6 in which said passage means includes a longitudinal passage portion in axial alignment with said longitudinal axis and communicating with said pickup and viewing passage portions.

8. The dryer of claim 7 in which one end of said longitudinal passage portion communicates with the exterior of said housing and the other end terminates short of the inner end of the closure member.

9. The dryer of claim 6 in which said opening of the pickup passage portion is angularly offset substantially from said viewing passage portion.

10. The dryer of claim 6 in which the inner end of the closure member has a tapered surface and said opening of said pickup passage portion is through said tapered surface.

11. The dryer of claim 7 in which said pickup passage portion leads from said longitudinal passage portion at an angle thereto, said passage portion opening is below said longitudinal axis and said viewing passage portion is above said longitudinal axis.

12. The dryer of claim 6 in which all of said passage portions lie in a vertical plane through the longitudinal axis of said housing.

13. The dryer of claim 12 in which said closure member has a generally conical inner face and said pickup passage portion opening is through said face.

14. The dryer of claim 6 in which said housing contains desiccant and desiccant holding means, and said housing and its contents are substantially symmetrically formed about the longitudinal axis of the housing whereby any side of the housing may be the lowermost portion when the housing is installed with its longitudinal axis in a horizontal position, said closure member being attached to said housing in any rotative position about said longitudinal axis, and said pickup passage portion opening being angularly spaced 180 from said viewing passage portion whereby upon installation of said housing in said horizontal position with said viewing passage vertically above said longitudinal axis said pickup passage portion opening is adjacent the lowermost portion of the housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1951 Newcom 2l0282 3/1967 Ziherl et al. 210282 US. Cl. X.R. 210282 

